


Mekeska

by hannelore



Category: Original Work
Genre: Childhood Friend Takes No Shit From Respected And Intimidating Character, Friendship, Gen, Princess & Non-Royal Best Friend, What Is This Feeling (It's Friendship)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:28:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26310376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannelore/pseuds/hannelore
Summary: Pela is the princess of Leili's village. A sudden decision changes everything about how the village will see Leili from now on, but it only strengthens Pela and Leili's existing friendship.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7
Collections: Friendship Flash Fall 2020





	Mekeska

**Author's Note:**

  * For [27twinsister](https://archiveofourown.org/users/27twinsister/gifts).



> Thank you to my beta, p. I had fun writing this fic for my first friendship fest! ♥

Leili woke up to the sounds of shouting. She sat up and her youngest brother Oru clung to her arm and whimpered.

"Where did everyone go? Leili said. Oru shook his head and only clung to her more tightly. His fingernails were digging into her arm. She pried him off as kindly as she could.

"Don't go!" Oru said. He was eight summers now, far too old for this foolishness.

Leili reached under her bedroll and grabbed her knife. 

\---

As soon as she peeked her head out of the hut, she saw people running back and forth. Immediately she saw an opening in the carefully placed poles that surrounded the village. Some of them had been cracked in half. 

"What's going on?" Leili called out, as if anyone in the commotion would listen to her. Then she saw Pela.

Pela was surrounded by four women who all had tall spears in their hands. A smooth, blue mark down their left cheek was the sign of being the princess's guards. Leili pushed her way through the crowd and knelt down in the dirt where Pela was sitting. One of the guards attempted to push her away with their foot, but Leili reached through the bars of limbs and grasped Pela's hands.

"It's fine!" Pela called up to the woman, who had already looked away to pay attention elsewhere. "Someone on the night guard said they saw lions trying to get in. They say they are circling the village."

"But why?" Leili said. "They've never harmed us."

They both looked around and saw new stakes being driven into the ground to replace the broken ones. The shouting seemed to be dying down. 

"Let me up," Pela grumbled as she stood up and pushed herself between two of her guards.

"You should stay until your mother returns," said the one who had tried to keep Leili from coming closer. Pela reached into a pouch at her side and smeared a line of blue down Leili's cheek. The other woman stepped back in surprise. Pela had marked her _right_ cheek, which made Leili the _leader_ of Pela's guardians. Usually this was done with great ceremony.

Pela gave the other women a stern look and Leili put her right hand on Pela's shoulder. They frowned as they moved away, but no one said anything further to them.

"I can't believe you did that!" Leili said in a low whisper as they walked.

"I think the words you're looking for are 'thank you,'" Pela snorted as she started climbing up the ladder next to Leili's hut. 

"You didn't exactly ask first," Leili called up as she started to climb behind Pela. 

Pela took her hand and helped her up to the top of the hut, where they both now had a better view of the surrounding plains. To her surprise, Pela smiled.

"Who knows, maybe I've been wanting to make you my _mekeska_ and you just never knew it."

Leili raised an eyebrow. "Being your friend is enough." 

"Fine," Pela said. She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked out. "Do you see anything?"

Leili squinted into the morning sun. "Just some animals at the watering hole, but they seem quiet. Tell me, did anyone _see_ the lions?"

"Some claimed they heard roaring," Pela said as she sat down cross-legged. "I don't think it was an attack at all."

"Hey! Come down from there!"

The girls looked down and saw Tirth. Tirth was taller than most of the women in the village and had a reputation for pushing people around. She had been _mekeska_ ever since Pela had been a baby. The blue clay felt hot on Leili's cheek. Word must traveled about what Pela had done and Tirth did not seem happy about it.

Pela bit her lip. "My mother is really going to be angry with me for making you _mekeska_ like that."

"But you have the ability to do so," Leili said. "Did you want me to be yours or not?"

"Of course I did," Pela said. She looked surprised. "I'd rather you than Tirth."

"What do you want?" Leili shouted back down. She was surprised at the sharpness in her voice. She wasn't just admonishing Oru for spilling his dinner. This was serious.

"An explanation!" Tirth demanded.

"The princess doesn't need to explain herself to anyone," Leili said. Tirth cursed and put her foot on the bottom rung as if to climb up.

"Leili—" Pela's voice was barely a whisper. 

"Stop right there," Leili said. The interaction had caused a few villagers to notice; despite their poor attempts at pretending to ignore what was happening. "Go and wash your face, Tirth. I am Pela's _mekeska_ now."

There were a few gasps in the crowd. Tirth looked absolutely furious and opened her mouth as if to reply. Leili was holding onto the poles of the ladder, although perhaps more to keep her hands from shaking. But her heart was trembling in its cage. Pela had chosen her, without even asking. It was an honor and she would protect it.

Tirth clenched her fists, but she only nodded and stormed off. Pela grabbed the back of Leili's tunic.

"I… can't believe you just said that. To _Tirth!_ "

Leili laughed. It seemed like just the tiniest bit of clay had made her stronger; more sure of herself.

"Did I perform my new duties well?" Leili said.

"Absolutely!" Pela said. "But maybe we should stay up here... a little longer. You know, in case Tirth has gone to tell my mother."

"It's all right," Leili said. "If they try to come up here, I'll just push the ladder away."

"You wouldn't!" Pela exclaimed and then she grinned. "You're a good friend, Leili."

"I promise, princess. _Mekeska_ or no, that will certainly never change."


End file.
